Saturday, October 13, 2007

in which the fish surfaces in the River Neva

By the time I came to the surface, I found myself to be a long, long way from home, the water dark and cold, my scales lost their silver and become shades of black and green. I shook myself off, and set about adventuring.

I knew where I was immediately.

In the Hermitage, I whiled away six hours, goggling my wide eyes at every turn. I didn't even cover half the collection. I lurked in the lesser visited rooms, and discovered quiet treasures.

Having been thus dazzled, I was given to thinking that had I, once upon a time, glanced into these rooms agilt and dazzling, clutching my scrap of potato in my hand, and seen these wonders, I may have had thoughts of a revolution too.But that's just me.

Wonderful pictures ... although I actually sort of prefer the Australian beach / sea imagery ones! I also love the fish-emerging-far-from-home and the channeling - a - Tsarist -era peasant holding a potato metaphors. I hope you are having a good time in Russia and that your hosts are treating you well.